• @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    13712 days ago

    The US can remotely disable them whenever they damn well please anyway, and can not be trusted not to.

    Everyone should be canceling their orders immediately, and disable the remote access capabilities to the ones they have.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      3312 days ago

      Has it actually been confirmed they can do this? I would assume they backdoor them, but usually backdoors are secret.

      • Shadow
        link
        fedilink
        3912 days ago

        They require software updates for every mission, that are distributed from the US.

        You can probably fly / use it without those, but you lose all the advanced command & control features

          • Brumefey
            link
            fedilink
            English
            1112 days ago

            « You need to take off RIGHT NOW! » « I can’t . Upgrade in progress ! »

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              1311 days ago

              Post on TechHelp:

              "I keep hearing the missile connecting and disconnecting.

              Has anyone got the latest driver for a Sidewinder AIM-9L?"

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        9
        edit-2
        11 days ago

        Some high ranking US intelligence dude said something along the lines of that yeah. I dont think anyone has hacked into one of them to check or reverse engineer the code tho.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          211 days ago

          It’s several millions of lines of code, and it gets a lot harder to follow once compiled, so that would be a big project.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    6012 days ago

    American here. Who cares if it provokes Trump? Actions have consequences. Canada helped out a lot during 911. What did we do? Prove to be an unreliable partner

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    5712 days ago

    With tariffs hammering F-35 sales, I expect the next Eurofighter project will have a lot more resources. I wonder if Canada will get involved.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      4512 days ago

      Sweden also offered to get us building our own Gripens totally locally. The page for the bid is even still up

      I assume we already have pilots trained in flying the F-35 at this point, which sucks if we’re never getting them, though.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          11
          edit-2
          11 days ago

          Especially since the Americans are the ones who convinced us they had enough fighter jets to take care of us so we could/should cancel the Arrow. :/

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            111 days ago

            I mean, there was also the issue of it just costing a lot as the Diefenbaker conservative government was looking to make cuts.

      • barbarossa
        link
        fedilink
        1012 days ago

        Absolute bozo move to not go for this in retrospect. They need to give this a look again asap

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          5
          edit-2
          12 days ago

          If I had hair, I definitely would have been pulling it out at the time. It’s not like this situation came out of nowhere, but normalcy bias won the day.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    5012 days ago

    Any NATO member increasing their military spending would be idiotic to spend their money with US-based companies.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    3912 days ago

    Nah, y’all should accept delivery then refuse to pay. Give him a taste of his own medicine.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      4212 days ago

      So take the planes, send Trump the bill, when he acts confused you tell him he should really be more grateful about this

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      14
      edit-2
      12 days ago

      I mean, without American replacement parts I don’t know how flyable they are. Stiffing the US on something is an option for next play, though.

      Edit: So, correction. Interestingly it looks like the US is actually dependent on others for parts itself, and Japan has a good helping of all the parts in the whole plane being built domestically, so maybe not all is lost there. (This link looks legit, but disclaimer that I’m unfamiliar with it and you can’t always tell at a glance post-AI)

      That being said, the software is definitely closed-source, and all their design.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    3811 days ago

    The aircraft has significant security risks for sure and makes sense to cancel. But canceling the order won’t be on Trump’s radar unless it affects his inner circle of evil billionaires who have funneled dark money to him.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    38
    edit-2
    12 days ago

    100% TODAY! Do not pay a fucking dime of any amount owing for these. (good job on Globe and Mail for a change)

    FYI, the Israeli version of F35 does not have this “US permission for every flight required”

    F35 is a POS plane, with low uptime, in addition to “broken ownership”. Even US military does not get manuals on how to repair/maintain them and must hire Lockheed consultants to do the job. The whole program was a boondoggle to pay Lockheed the most money possible instead of getting good military equipment, and any corrupt POS that was involved in approving this purchase for Canada should be jailed for treason.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      13
      edit-2
      12 days ago

      There’s nothing stopping Canada from getting the manuals and patching the software. Most of the FUD about it’s performance abilities is propaganda. So getting them and just locking out Lockheed and the US would be a pretty good middle finger too.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        711 days ago

        The performance metrics are criticisize by US military journals.

        There’s nothing stopping Canada from getting the manuals and patching the software.

        If US military can’t get them or patch the software, Canada can’t either. Israel is special for not putting up with US BS.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          211 days ago

          I haven’t seen that. I’ve only seen blogs saying stuff. And if you have the literal hardware in your hands then changing the software isn’t going to be hard as a country.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            311 days ago

            8m lines of source code for F35 OS, afaiu. Vendor is intentionally crippling your access/functionality, and USMCA calls that “proper pro business attitude”. Again, Lockheed has accomodated Israel in not crippling their version. It’s not as though you have open source hardware to which to code your own OS ontop.

            Only dumping the POS is appropriate. Call it a negotiation position.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            29 days ago

            Ah okay. But that spreads the worry without diluting it. Are the people who didn’t check the box “don’t drown the pilot” on the raptor q/a form also now on the fluffy-Amy team? What kind of drunken shenanigans can we anticipate?

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    3511 days ago

    Goddamn right we should. Take the French up on the offer to build the Rafale here. Or the Swedes. And get a few demo units for short term.

    Fuck 'em on any cancellation fees too. Consider it partial compensation for the ridiculous trade war.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      311 days ago

      There was an article last week discussing how that plane calls home every day and that it can be blocked by the Americans. They can shut all of them down within 24 hours.

      Time to nope right out of that contract.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      -311 days ago

      None of those airplanes even have similar capabilities. Why do you think the entirety of Europe has ordered so many F-35.

      The only alternative is to wait 15+(realistically 20+) years for a 6gen plane from Europe. And with the alliance dying, who knows how much longer it will take now

      Rafale and Gripen are more expensive and in many ways, less good. There is a reason why noone is buying them, or even if they did, they still want to buy more F-35.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        611 days ago

        Both are cheaper than F35… Do you have an access to the internet? The reason people were buying US planes is they thought the US walked the talk. They clearly don’t, so they won’t sell those anymore.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        511 days ago

        F35 is far more expensive to operate, so you end up paying more over the lifetime if you actually use it.

        Of course the other aircraft don’t have a bunch of fancy features of the F35, but maybe we don’t need them, particularly in light of the US hostility and unpredictability. And the benefit of building our own is a factor as well.

        As I undertand it, the F35 has only about 55% readiness and suffers SW problems as well.

        The US is not the only game in town, and we need to be clear about that.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          2
          edit-2
          11 days ago

          It is a little princessy(what stealth aircraft isnt) but it doesnt cost that much to run. It only requires specialized facilities.

          F-35 readiness is on par with other comparable planes and will only get better (superior to other fighters) the more infrastructure is built. You would be shocked if you saw the readiness levels of other planes but that doesnt sell.

          It is important to note that much of the bad reputation of the f-35 is because

          1. Outdated data from early development of the plane. The F-16(or any plane), the (currently) cheap, reliable and available workhorse had an even worse start.
          2. Because there is free press in the West, you hear about everything that goes wrong. This is not the case for planes from authoritarian countries.
          3. A lot of the misinformation comes and/or is amplified literally from enemy state propaganda.
          4. A lot of the issues of the F-35 are about the vertical takeoff variant(F-35B). Or about a new updated version(block) of the F-35 that is still in testing.
          5. “F-35 bad” is(though less so nowadays) an internet meme. I am still waiting for the internet to explain how this terrible fighter can do 20 to 1 kill ratio vs non stealth planes in exercises.

          Ask yourself why is the F-35 the best selling fighter. Why is noone buying F-15, F-18 or F-16. Those planes still sell but on much more limited quantities and mostly because F-35 production cant catch up with demand(or because not all american allies are allowed to buy the F-35).

          Now obviously if America is hostile to Europe, shit is gonna get really weird. While the Rafale and Gripen are capable planes, they cannot replace the F-35.

          Look what is happening in Ukraine. The air space is extremely hostile to non stealth planes. This is the kind of environment that the F-35 can fight in, though ideally you want B2 to bomb most antiair defenses. Non stealth aircraft can fight too but it is infinitely risker and with significantly reduced capabilities.

          The F-35 is the start of a new doctrine(for non american airforces), not just a plane.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            311 days ago

            You forgot to mention the difference in maintenance costs. The F-35 is the most expensive fighter jet not only to acquire but also to maintain. It’s a money pit. It’s beautiful and 6th gen and all that’s grand. But it’s not good enough to justify the difference in prices.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        411 days ago

        The gripen is more agile than the f35 and capable of austere landings. Arguably more important traits than the ability to carry American nukes.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          211 days ago

          Being agile is kinda irrelevant if one can detect, lock and launch missiles tens of kilometers before the other plane can even detect it. Real life is not Top Gun. This is why everyone is buying the F-35.

          There is a reason why China is spending billions designing and making stealth fighters, bombers and drones.

          Agility isnt useless but it is highly overrated mostly by Russia, because they cant afford to produce(in relevant quantities) a stealth plane.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            211 days ago

            Russia has a different approach to the problem: Very aggressive jamming. Sure, you can see them before they can see you, but those missiles are gonna be much less effective at tracking and destroying targets.

            Stealth is being as quiet as possible, Russian jets are so damn “loud” that you don’t know which target is the real one.

            Once within range for a more traditional dogfight it’s basically a coin toss, mostly down to the pilots and the reliability of the plane’s hardware.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        211 days ago

        Alliance isn’t dying, just the US isn’t really part of it anymore. The need for alliance is all the more stronger and it’s imperative to remove all dependency on the US defense industry within that alliance. The US dropping military aid for Ukraine proves the US is a dishonourable country and shouldn’t be trusted for anything anymore. By all indications, the US is surrendering to Russia because Trump is afraid of Putin.

        The capabilities of the F-35 only represents the capability of an adversary now. We should use the ones we have to develop radar systems so we can shoot them down, and reverse engineer it’s capabilities to improve the fighter aircraft produced by the free world (which no longer includes the US).

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    3311 days ago

    As should europe. Clearly you can’t trust the USA anymore. What is the long-term prospect for spare parts?

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      911 days ago

      From what I’ve heard you need a password that changes on the daily to start a F-35 and that the US are the only ones that can provide it. If that is true, it’s a tremendous oversite for any sovereign state.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        2
        edit-2
        11 days ago

        wait…WHAT??? it doesn’t sound unlikely (tesla can be disabled remotely by tesla), but why would you buy it in such case? That’s why I voted the piracy party a couple of times. Not because I fully agree, but just to get people with at least some IT knowledge in

        • Bev's Dad
          link
          fedilink
          311 days ago

          Quick search seems to say that US planes might have the code thing but exported planes don’t. Although they do have control over updates and the code for everyone except for Israel that requested access to the code before buying.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        1811 days ago

        “No u” come on with the childish shit. Yes we could trust Europe you dumb dumb. America literally wouldn’t exist without French support but you wanna be a contrarian so bad you just ignore everything and type out this moronic dribble

        • ANNOFlo
          link
          fedilink
          711 days ago

          You can even look into much closer history - look at the participants of Enduring Freedom. Nice to see how respected the life’s of our citizens, who died in Afghanistan or elsewhere, are to people like that.

      • ANNOFlo
        link
        fedilink
        1311 days ago

        Kindly - shut up. All those countries you don’t trust followed America into Afghanistan, many into other wars. All lost citizens in support of American and joint interests, we did our part, as allies should. Guess we now know who is the real untrustworthy partner, and I doubt any of us will forget the betrayal anytime soon.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        311 days ago

        Spoken like someone from the very very shallowest side of the gene pool. You’re a mouth and an anus and not much else.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        311 days ago

        Idiot moron piece of shit retard. Go give Putin a footmassage and the keys to your house you bootlicking degenerate creature.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    29
    edit-2
    12 days ago

    I don’t think Canada should be basing their defense decisions on the opinion and thin skin of the American government. Trying to force Canada, in any way, to purchase F35’s is fishy - not that that’s happening, of course.

    Canada’s interests are for Canada. Not them. Also, maybe Canada should reboot their ventures into the Avro Arrow program again. That’ll ruffle some feathers. Canadian engineered military = quite formidable, I think.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      1311 days ago

      Canadian engineered military = quite formidable, I think.

      Here’s the bad news. It’s not. Sure, we’re good at peacekeeping, and we deploy to support (militarily) our allies. But we’re using US gear and we’re woefully underfunded because war budget has been declared a waste by even the parties who strut and posture about a strong military. We only needed to fulfill our NATO obligations, for decades, and even that has been a struggle we haven’t won consistently with the low budget.

      And while we’re skilled enough and gung-ho, and our 1st Pioneers are about the most scary bunch of lumberjack commandos you’ll ever see, there’s just so few of them, and again their gear has been called old and out of repair by every administration campaigning because the last one never did a thing about it.

      We’re gonna need a lot of funding and training and gear to make up the shortfall in people and powpow toys, and that’s a slice of gov pork that Milhouse is gonna latch onto knowing that he doesn’t need an army once he gives the country over. Justin doesn’t want to spend that, but he - and please God let it be Mark next - is really gonna have to.

      But how do we sell it to the “hair guy bad” flatlanders steeped in 12 years of hating Justin for not being a pseudo-aristocratic milquetoast conservative?

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        111 days ago

        Here’s the bad news. It’s not.

        I guess what I was trying to get at was that it was at one point and that we could if we wanted to become that again. I wasn’t saying our current military is anywhere near the U.S military in any way, shape or form. I understand, quite clearly, just how out matched we are.

        I was only putting forward the idea (which I agree with you, on) that we should absolutely rearm and become independent of their technology. We supply them the critical materials for their military. They need it. Maybe we should rethink that (not a popular idea, though).

  • Franklin
    link
    fedilink
    23
    edit-2
    12 days ago

    ooh no, it might provoke the person who is back stabbing us at every conceivable opportunity

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    23
    edit-2
    11 days ago

    Canada should cancel the F-35 contract and their are better fighter jets from reliable NATO allies. The F-35 is a $2 trillion USD turd that is still not 100%. If Canada continues to purchase US weapons, this would be like Poland buying weapons from Nazi Germany. I am hoping the US MIC becomes pissed off.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    2012 days ago

    Hell yeah they should. We need to be able to defend ourselves against southern aggression, and the F35 is compromised based on what Trump himself threatened.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    912 days ago

    With a potential for an american invasion on the table, I wouldn’t want to cancel that deal without another similar plane deal lined up

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      3612 days ago

      While I do not believe the US will actually invade Canada, I don’t imagine the F35 would be much help in that situation. I am sure there are remote access capabilities to cease their operation, at the very least.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        1212 days ago

        You have to enter a password to start up the F35. That password changes every day and USA needs to give these passwords. Locking a country out of the plane is as simple as stop sending the new passwords.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          912 days ago

          Hmm, opinions on the internet on if that’s true are mixed at best. It’s a level of control I’d be shocked anyone would accept. Someone on Quora is saying most countries weren’t even happy Lockheed Martin manages the supply chain and maintenance software.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        1212 days ago

        While I do not believe the US will actually invade Canada

        Until a few weeks ago I did not believe the US would impose tariffs on Canada or call it the “51st state,” so…

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          1
          edit-2
          11 days ago

          The tariff go around happened last time, which is how we ended up with the NAFTA replacement. The “51st state” nonsense was projected previously, which is more about his ego and his belief that he has a lot of support in Canada.

          Edit: I suppose I should expect reality to be offensive to people at this point, yet I’m still surprised. That’s my fault. Continue living in fantasy land, ya’ll, and I won’t interfere with the truth again.

    • The Quuuuuill
      link
      fedilink
      English
      2212 days ago

      the potential for an invasion is precisely the reason you don’t want the f-35 around. that warbird is the most technologically dependent device ever crafted for warfare. it is deeply vulnerable to an adversary with the knowledge simply bricking it remotely and you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think the us military wouldn’t brick all of them. the better plan is to train with prior gen jets and asymmetric combat using drones.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        1412 days ago

        Don’t forget the Gripen. There’s a great offer for domestic production still on the table, and it’s the asymmetric stall-an-invasion fighter.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        412 days ago

        Put the funds from that cancellation toward a contract with Ukraine for advanced drone technology and the capacity to manufacture it domestically.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          -7
          edit-2
          12 days ago

          Russian drones are better. Fiber optics overcome all radio jamming. Destroys all the things. Ukraine does not have excess production. Canada peace with Russia means that NORAD is us protecting the US, instead of allowing their BS that they are protecting us. US should pay a lot for NORAD.

          • The Quuuuuill
            link
            fedilink
            English
            511 days ago

            that doesn’t really make sense given that the situation is that the US and Russia are aligned and Canada is not aligned with them. if Canada were aligned, the F-35s wouldn’t be a concern at all

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      312 days ago

      If they were serious about invasions they wouldn’t deliver. We’re better off with Gripens IMO but she’s an even more expensive option.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      112 days ago

      I don’t think an invasion could realistically happen. 1. Need congress to authorize a war that would impact U.S. soil and 2. need the military which isn’t under trumps thumb

      But making sure they have another deal is smart, probably delay the f-35, and get maybe the euro fighter or so. Solid planes and itd be horrible for U.S. to lose a military contract in NA to an EU. Get the military industrial conplex pissed at trump.

      • Pennomi
        link
        fedilink
        English
        2112 days ago

        There’s a hell of a lot of “Congress has to authorize” that’s being blatantly ignored right now.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        4
        edit-2
        12 days ago

        I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the President has a 30 day authority to use the military anywhere in the world. After 30 days he needs congressional authority. He can get a second 30 days while that’s going on and if Congress says no then he has to remove all troops within a final 30 day period.

        If Congress never says anything then he effectively has a blank check.

        Your best bet would actually be to run TV Ads trying to get the military to refuse the order. I think a large percentage actually would. I also think he’s going to invade Mexico first and if he does invade Canada he’ll do it like the Russians did Ukraine. (They told their troops it was a training mission and then only told them at the border that it was real)